My Soul Divided
by saccharine.y
Summary: AU: There was no turning back from this point; it was ironic, really, how a duck had fallen for a cat. Why couldn't her 'Shift' have been something cooler? Something that could have been useful to both herself and others. NatsuMikan, HotaRuka, KokoMire
1. Losing a partner

**My Soul Divided; A Stolen Goodbye**

**Disclaimer:**

I own not Gakuen Alice or any of it's characters (Unfortunately)

Only thing I own here is the plot -sobs-

Credits to Spirit-in-the-Rain for help with story name~

Hope you enjoy it :D!

.

* * *

><p>.<p>

.

.

"Get OFF of me! No-"

_Oof!_

I had the air pushed straight out of my lungs when my attacker rolled me over, squishing my face flat against the dirt. Kicking my right foot back, I managed to knock the weight off of my body, flinging it away from me as I scrambled to get on my feet.

_What to do now?_ I thought wearily, spitting out the dirt that had gone into my mouth. My t-shirt was covered in dirt, my jeans were downright disgusting and I was thoroughly worn out from fending off my assailant. The sun was still high up in the sky, but my legs were about to give way any minute now. _I should ―_

"Take…this!"

And another body landed on top of me.

Struggling to get free, I gathered more air in to scream for help just as a soft hand covered my mouth.

"Mhrey! Rawrt Vawr!"

"All's fair in love and war." said the one covering my mouth. _At least she understood what I was trying to say_, I thought, glaring at her. Despite the fact that we were now entering fall, she was still wearing a bright orange tank top with only a cropped loose tanker that ended mid-riff. She had a pair of emerald green capris on the bottom and her light pink hair bounced as she leaned down to look at me. Mischief was evident in her cerulean blue eyes and she turned to her partner. "Don't you think?"

"Well, it's not exactly love here…just war." The girl with slate-gray eyes added as she walked up to me, stretching the sore muscles where I'd kicked to get her off. She was dressed in the exact same attire as the other girl, except her tank top was purple and her capris were black. Twirling her straight, dark blue hair with her fingers, she kneeled down and opened her mouth to speak, only to be cut off by a growl from a nearby tree.

"Are you guys bullying Mikan again?"

"Uh…" The pink-haired girl gulped nervously, the mischief in her eyes replaced by anxiety and unease. Looking to her companion then back at the trees, she promptly removed her hand from my mouth, got up, and began to back away.

"We weren't REALLY bullying her…just having some fun." defended the blue-haired girl. She too, began to back away though, and smiled meekly when she saw a figure walking out from the trees.

Emerging from the shadows was Hotaru, with her short black hair rustling in the wind and her arms crossed over her chest. Though she was only wearing a blue 3/4 sleeve shirt and dark skinny jeans, it did nothing to offset the threatening aura she had around her.

"Hotaru!" I cried, pushing myself up into a sitting position. I didn't bother standing up; my muscles were too sore, and she was walking towards me anyways.

"You okay, Mikan?" She asked, violet eyes looking me over quickly before directing her attention back at the two girls.

"Yeah." I replied, wincing while I pulled my feet in. _The impact from the tackle must've hurt my knees_, I thought, faking an angry look at the girls. "But honestly, what happened to this being a mock fight? Nonoko, that tackle kind of hurt and Anna, covering my mouth with your hand wasn't fair! You guys were double-teaming me; I deserved to shout for help."

"Yeah see? We weren't REALLY bullying her," Anna said sheepishly, not bothering to note my complaint against her. Taking a step closer with arms extended apologetically, she was walking towards me but immediately stopped, hands flying up in surrender, when Hotaru narrowed her eyes. "Just practicing, that's all."

I laughed an inner chuckle at Hotaru's reaction, but waved her off as I relented. "It's alright." I said, earning a contempt "Hmph!" from Hotaru in response. I was glad that she came to my rescue, but it was my own fault for not paying attention.

Since the weather was nice, I'd asked Anna and Nonoko to practice with me, feeling the need to brush up on my skills. Anna had spontaneously agreed, always excited for a quick bout or two to liven up her day. Nonoko had laughed lightly at her younger sister's enthusiasm, but went along with my request. The two fraternal twins were quite different from each other, shown in both their appearances and personalities. Their style of fighting as well, was the reason why I asked for both of them to help. Anna was loud and outgoing, reflected in her strong punches, whereas Nonoko was quiet and hard-working, her swift movements hard to avoid.

It still shouldn't have been hard though, since I actually had much more hand-to-hand combat training than they did. Most people would blame it on my occasional (or maybe not so occasional) klutziness, but I usually do a good job of preventing that from interfering with me when in a fight. It wasn't my klutziness that had caused my loss today; I'd simply gotten distracted during the middle of our brawl.

Smiling to Anna and Nonoko as an "ok" signal to approach us, I tried my best to relieve the tense atmosphere. "It was a good practice I guess, though I'm probably going to show up in bruises tomorrow. Now I know how much I need to improve on huh?"

"I think it was just because you weren't focused." Nonoko said, the corners of her mouth turning up into a gentle smile as she walked up to brush some dirt off of my ochre-coloured hair. "You weren't paying attention, were you?"

Now it was _my_ turn to smile sheepishly. "You caught me. Was I really that obvious?" Of course, if Nonoko could tell. I wasn't paying attention at all, didn't even hear Anna's footsteps or Nonoko's chuckles before they pounced. The twins were good fighters, but they weren't really known for their stealth. If I didn't realize it when they were about to ambush me, it meant a big lapse in concentration, which I did have.

I was too busy thinking about our Shifts, an ability that manifests in each of us at different times of our childhood. A Shift allows a person to be able to transform into some sort of creature, and it's varies depending on each individual. After a person first shifts, the animal form that they take becomes permanent. Inseparable. It is essentially a part of you, always there inside your body, its animalistic instinct taking over as your body changes. It's not the adding of the soul of an animal into your body, with it rotating control of your consciousness as you Shift. It's more like two souls are merged into one, with it growing as you grow. The Shift does not work together with you; it _is_ you.

Generally, people take a while to get used to it, but afterwards, it's really just..._there_. We don't necessarily shift when we are in danger because for some people, shifting won't actually help in a fight. There are some who prefer to remain in their Shifts, whether it's because of convenience or preference, depending on the type they had.

The reason why Anna and Nonoko were so scared of (well, not scared, but had decent respect for) Hotaru was because they knew that their Shifts would not be able to overpower Hotaru's. Hotaru's Shift allowed her to transform into a midnight blue coyote, meaning that Anna the squirrel or Nonoko the blue jay wouldn't have stood a chance.

I looked down miserably and thought of my own Shift. I had been so worried about it, since I was already close to reaching the age of 17, when it finally became apparent a few months back: a duck, and an ugly gray one too. Why did everyone get such cute or useful Shifts but me? _Don't think about it Mikan_, I thought, shaking my head to clear such depressing thoughts. _No one laughs at you or anything; you should be happy._

I was though, extremely happy and also very fortunate to have such kind friends. Anna and Nonoko meant well, though they could go a little overboard sometimes. Hotaru didn't show much affection, but I knew that I could trust her with my life if/when it came down to that.

Forcing my sore muscles to unwind, I stood up and brushed the dust off of myself. _Act normal; don't think about it._ Letting out a breath I didn't know that I was holding, I smiled a big grin at all of them. "Come on! Let's go and eat lunch already. You guys may not be starving, but I sure am!"

"Actually, that sounds like a great idea." Nonoko agreed, linking her arms together with Anna. "We're all worn out from the practice anyways. You coming, Hotaru?"

"Of course!" I answered happily for her, and received a irritated glare in response. She gave in with a sigh a few seconds later, and looked back at me with a defeated smile.

"Alright, alright." Hotaru ceded with a huff. "Let's go."

Leaving the small clearing that I liked to use for training, I lead the way, running straight back into the forest of Bruyn with the scent of nature filling my nose. The place was named for the old bear that lived in the heart of the forest, who guarded and looked after it from harmful creatures. I met him once before, and he was surprisingly friendly, probably because a Shifter like me couldn't do anything even if I tried. The forest was his to protect, and it was felt great to live in a peaceful place like this.

We lived down in a valley, protected from fierce winds by the mountains up north. The forest of Bruyn covered the entire south-eastern side, opening into little fields and clearings here and there. It continued until cut off by the fresh, rushing water of several rivers and streams out west, with a flat plateau on the other side. In the heart of our valley was a large plain of beautiful, green grassland.

The entire valley was our domain, with some of us living near the river while others were closer to the base of the mountain. The Shifters in each territory would have their own groups and ways of communicating between the relative Shifters. Anna was a Doru, meaning "tree-dwellers",and so was Nonoko, as they both lived mainly in the trees. Hotaru roamed and resided within the forest and so was a Foris.

As a whole though, we were still one big community, and we've built a small settlement, complete with houses, shops, and libraries, located at the north-eastern edge of the grasslands. When mealtime came along, we'd get together at a regular meeting place that we had established, closer to the center, so that we could all meet up and hunt together.

The smile of my face faltered a little at the thought of that. Meal times were dicey, because carnivores like Hotaru had to be careful to not eat the friends of Anna or Nonoko. We've gotten down a list of the general Shifts and animals in the area though, so people knew which ones to avoid. Most of them just got used to compromising their diets with berries and plants.

Except for Persona.

I winced at the memory, and the moment's hesitation almost caused me to trip over a tree root. Embarrassed, I looked around to find that I had run off the path and lost Hotaru and the others. _Oh well, they know where to go. _I shrugged, directing my eyes back to the front as I continued my run, thoughts returning to the fight 3 months ago. We had to drive Persona away because he refused to follow the rules. His Shift was a jaguar, and so he had hunted many friends of the smaller Shifters before we finally put a stop to it.

The memory was not a great one. Some people were injured trying to drive him away. Others, like me, wouldn't have been much help and so were forced to stand aside and watch. We had lost Nobara too, who left with Persona because she wanted to stay with him. Her cheerful smiles were greatly missed, but no one would have forced her to stay. Or could have, for that matter; her Shift also allowed her to become one of the large predators: a white tiger.

A sudden flash of silver caught my eye and for a split second, I dared to hope that maybe Nobara had decided to come back after all. Planting my feet to a stop, I looked towards the hill on my right and, to my disappointment, my gaze zeroed in on not Nobara, but Ruka, shifted into his wolf form. As a wolf, he had the most beautiful silver pelt, second only to Nobara's striped shining white. It was dazzling, the way his fur sparkled as it reflected off sunlight.

Nodding first in acknowledgement, I then looked into his eyes with playfulness evident in mine. _Let's race_, my eyes communicated as my mouth turned up into a sly grin. "But you have to Shift back." I added out loud. "It wouldn't be fair otherwise."

He rolled his eyes, and a second later, I saw the normal Ruka again, yellow t-shirt and khaki shorts, blond hair falling gently against his pale skin while his soft blue eyes gazed down at me. "Of course I would turn back." He smiled, carefully placing his feet as he descended down the hill. "So, are you ready?"

I nodded, eyes gleaming in anticipation. Turning my head to look to the front, I began the countdown. "Three…two…―"

"One!" He shouted in sync, and we sped into the forest, leaving a trail of kicked up dirt.

.

* * *

><p>.<p>

In the end, Ruka won.

Although he had shifted back, the race was still unfair for me because no matter the form he chose to take, his wolf attributes would always remain a part of him, meaning that he could definitely outrun a slow duck like me.

I caught on a minute or two later, panting as I pulled to a stop in the open grass area of our meeting place. I was too preoccupied to notice at first, but the silence in the clearing caught my attention after I finally had the chance to catch my breath.

"Ruka?" I shouted, eyes searching for him in the clearing. His ears twitched at the sound of my voice, and my eyes caught sight of his silver pelt near the base of the rock hill where we gathered to eat when it rains.

_Wait a ― pelt?_

Why had Ruka Shifted? My first instinct was to look for any signs of danger, but there were no strangers in sight. The others had already arrived and were with him: I could see Natsume, Tsubasa, Sumire, Koko, and Kitsuneme all gathered around in a circle, around some_one_.

_Who was in the center?_

Urging my aching muscles to move once more, I jogged lightly to where the others were, stomach churning oddly with a bad feeling. "What's wrong?"

Natsume was dressed in his standard black t-shirt, red shorts outfit, and though he looked at me in acknowledgement, he didn't bother to explain the situation. Sumire was wearing a white skirt with her arms crossed over her pink blouse, eyes screwed together, like she was trying to decipher a puzzle. Tsubasa had on a pair of blue-black checkered pants with a black sweater, but since he was looking down at Yuu, I couldn't get his attention with my eyes.

Finally, Ruka turned his head around and I could see even in his wolf form, eyes that were filled with sadness and pity. He gently butted his head into my side and whined, but I couldn't understand what he was trying to say. As he turned to look back into the circle, I put my hands on top of Ruka's back and tiptoed to see who they were all crowding around.

In the middle of the huddle sat Yuu, legs splayed out, hands in his face as tears flowed endlessly from his brown eyes, making its way down his pale cheeks and into the ground.

Squishing in between Natsume and Ruka, I made my way in and bent down to examine Yuu. "What happened? Are you alright? Are you hurt?" I fussed about, inspecting every inch of him, but not seeing any visible wounds. Yuu was still sobbing, not pausing long enough to answer my question.

Eventually, my curiousity peaked and I couldn't help but shout, mostly out of concern for Yuu. "Will someone PLEASE tell me what's going on?"

Tsubasa opened his mouth to reply, but Natsume beat him to it. "He can't do it anymore." Natsume said plainly, in a stressed tone somewhere between shock and anger. The fire in his piercing red eyes gave me chills, and suddenly I was sure that whatever had happened was nothing anyone could have ever foreseen.

"Do what?" I asked, horrified, but the wheels in my mind not turning quite fast enough.

At Natsume's statement, Yuu began sobbing even more, pulling up his legs together so that he could bury his face in his knees. Realizing the sensitivity of the subject, I patted Yuu gently on the back in an attempt to soothe the miserable boy.

Looking up at Tsubasa, I tried to convey to him through my eyes what my mouth could not. _Do what? What can't Yuu do anymore?_

Tsubasa sighed, and proceeded to pull me away from Yuu by the arm. Reluctance to leave Yuu alone and curiousity to find out what happened tore at me, but Kitsuneme gave me a nod to go. He filled my spot as I left, and sat beside Yuu while gently murmuring words of comfort.

Satisfied that the distance was enough, Tsubasa let me go a few meters away from the group. "We don't know what happened," He began, eyes glazed with worry. "Yuu just suddenly realized that he had lost it when he was trying to run away from a preying fox."

"Lost what?" I asked again, unusually impatient now that I was finally starting to grasp the seriousness of the situation. I was on the verge of reaching out to shake the answer out of Tsubasa before he finally replied.

"His Shift," He said in a dull voice, as though he was in Yuu's place. "He lost his ability to Shift."

My eyes grew wide with shock, one foot shuffling back as I took in what Tsubasa had said. _Can't…Shift? That's not possible!_ Once a person transforms for the first time, their Shifts stay with them, through adulthood, until the day they _die_.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Hotaru, Anna, and Nonoko finally arriving from the far edge of the forest, realizing faster than I was that something was wrong when there was no one there to greet them.

As Hotaru rushed over, I tried my best to gather my thoughts; I was scared for what this could mean, for both Yuu and the rest of us. My hands were shaking, but I put them on Tsubasa's shoulders and summoned up what courage I could before looking him desperately in the eye once more. _It couldn't possibly be true, now could it?_

Tsubasa could do nothing but nod sadly. "He can't transform anymore. Yuu will never Shift again."

.

.

.

* * *

><p>.<p>

So...how was it?

First time writing for this pairing, and as I am not quite familiar with it, I do hope I portrayed them "ok"-ly :D  
>CommentsFeedback are always appreciated ^^

If you do happen to bother to check out my profile, you'll find that it's "our" profile, because this story is actually going to be a collaboration between my friends and I, where we each write our own chapters, following only the information that was given in the previous chapters, so don't get all confused when the next chapter is written in a totally different way/style XD

See you guys in chapter 4 :D!

-S. Rukagi


	2. To take caution

AN:

Alright, I had no idea that this would be in first person.

It threw me off so badly, I almost suffered from dozens of dislodged vertebrae. RS decided to pull a fast one on me. I can't believe this. I can't-

I'm a third person kind of writer and dislike POV changes but this had to be done.

Sorry.

_Please don't be surprised by the horribly different writing style; we're two different people._

* * *

><p>.<p>

.

The rest of the day was silent.

An invisible cloud of depression hung in the air, its radius seeming to stretch on for miles and miles, blocking out the efforts of the smiling sun and magnifying the effects of the dark heavy rainclouds.

Mikan didn't know what to do.

It was difficult for her to act. She was sunshine, yet helpless in the face of rain; a wrong move could make things that much worse. If she tried, however, she could probably make a rainbow. That was what everyone loved about her: her never ending optimism. Yet, there was nothing she could do at the moment; no one wanted to be cheered up.

Yuu had locked himself up in his room. He needed time to embrace the problem by himself and when he was ready, he would open the door. For now, most of them waited, on his porch steps or a phone call away.

Mikan sighed. The cheerful atmosphere of the morning had completely vanished. She had no idea as to where Hotaru had disappeared to. The young genius was probably already cooped up in the grand central library, reading and researching about their Shifts. The clouds rumbled above her head, the grass around her swaying with the dancing wind. She was the only one who had stayed behind in the clearing, pondering.

She couldn't imagine the pain of losing her Shift. It was her identity, no matter how much it humiliated her and how much she wanted a different form. She couldn't hate herself and for that part of her to disappear would essentially be like dying. Her ugly duckling, it gave her the sense of belonging with others that Shifted. It had made her into who she was. It was wrong to take it for granted, yet at the same time, how could she not when she still had the ability? How could she not despise the gray feathers that decorated her small wings, the putrid yellow of her beak and the helplessness of her webbed feet?

Puffing up her cheeks, she prodded at them until she could no longer hold her breath and the air escaped from between her lips. Around her, the forest surrounding the tiny clearing stretched on. The clearing was large, a plate of flat green grass studded with tiny white flowers; a tiny oasis amidst the towering trees. Sunshine poured in from a crack through the clouds, dusting her face with golden rays.

It was ironic, her Shift.

Anyone would call Mikan beautiful. She had a set of soft hazel eyes, wide and filled with mirth, a waterfall of auburn hair slipping past her shoulders and falling against her cheeks as well as the sweetest laugh. She wasn't perfect but she was enough; pleasant to look at, fun to be around and willing to lend a hand or two, perhaps even a foot if desperate times called for desperate measures.

If your Shift revealed your inner personality, did that mean she was an ugly person?

Mikan shook her head. She was thinking way too much; it wasn't healthy. She frowned, as Natsume put it: "When Mikan thinks, another star in the universe collapses on itself and forms a black hole." That jerk, she couldn't stand him sometimes but it was only natural right? After all, she's been in love with him for more than twelve years.

And it took up until two years ago for her to realize this fact.

She couldn't help it; she was slow in those fields, if not a little slow at almost everything. She didn't like to admit it but she was clumsy and not too bright when it came to studies. Her common sense also needed a bit of help. Hotaru liked to call her a ditz and whenever she messed up, everyone would just shake their heads. "_It's a Mikan thing" _they'd gesture with a shrug of the shoulders. It was kind of sweet, how everyone naturally forgave her for being "her" but at the same time, irritating.

She was independent. No one needed to watch out for her and mother her. If only there was a way to prove that to everyone, when would that chance ever come along?

Suddenly, out of the corner of her eye, something flashed by. Every hair on her neck stood up and she tensed immediately. Instincts kicked in and Mikan flattened herself out onto the ground. It wasn't always safe in the woods and without a partner, things could get ugly.

Moments passed and her ears had not detected any movement. Something wasn't right. What was going on? Slowly, she lifted her head over the long grass and glanced at her surroundings. All was peaceful, so what had raced by? Carefully, she picked herself up and dusted off her shorts. Eyes darting around and senses on full alert, she slipped into the forest, heading in the direction she thought "it" had been heading in.

Curiosity killed cats but there was never any sayings involving ducks.

.

.

The front door closed with a deafening slam.

From the kitchen, Youichi raised his eyebrows. _Oh, Natsume must be home._ He rose from his chair and took his plate, padding towards the sink. The sound of cool water flowing from the tap nearly smothered the noise of footsteps leading upstairs. Youichi paused, hands covered in soap and plate still dirty. His brother wasn't hard to read and without even seeing him, Youichi already knew Natsume was in a terrible mood.

_Must be his time of month_, he thought to himself before gently setting the plate down in the dishwasher. He loaded all the dirty kitchen utensils into the machine, paying extra attention to Tsubasa's favorite teddy bear cup, and listened as it rumbled to life. He then headed upstairs, perhaps Natsume wanted to talk.

He padded along the hallway and stopped at the third door down. Although he was stealthy, the carpet beneath his feet still managed to give away his near-silent entrance. Natsume looked up, arms entangled in his t-shirt and midriff exposed. He narrowed his eyes.

"Get out of my room, Youichi."

"I refuse." He smirked. It wasn't exactly a Natsume Hyuuga smirk but it was that of a Hyuuga to say the least. He watched as Natsume's eyebrows furrowed further, accentuating his dark eyelashes and crimson red eyes.

"I'm changing, Youichi. Leave."

"And I like to peep." He countered, smiling as Natsume unleashed a snarl. Despite his older brother's protests, he stepped farther into the room and plopped down on the bed. Burrowing his head into the sheets, he watched lazily with one eye as Natsume sighed, threw t-shirt off his body and started to sift through the hangers in his closet.

It was a wonder, really, that they were all related. Tsubasa had been born first, followed by Natsume and lastly, Youichi himself. He secretly suspected that Tsubasa was an adopted child because he acted like Natsume and Youichi as much as a pencil acted like an eraser.

While Tsubasa was sunny and flirtatious, Youichi and Natsume were both reserved and cold (though one was evidently more moody than the other). Tsubasa loved cute things whereas Youichi preferred to delve into the world of grotesque monsters and creatures. Natsume was always reading manga, something neither of the other two enjoyed, and they could be spotted on the shelves along his bedroom wall, number of volumes past the nineties. They all sported different sets of eyes: blue, red and grey; a reflection of their favorite colors. Last but not least, Tsubasa loved girls, Youichi could seriously do without those annoying pests and Natsume, well, he was asexual or something.

Youichi just hoped he wouldn't have to wake up one morning and see another Natsume standing beside the original. Asexual reproduction was a scary thing.

A pair of jeans thrown at his face brought him out of his thoughts. "Don't drool on my bed, stupid." Natsume drawled as he watched, amused, his little brother's expression contort into something utterly priceless. Moments later, he ducked, the belt nearly hitting his cheek as Youichi hurled his jeans back at him, clearly seething.

"What the _heck_, Natsume." Youichi's indifferent composure always melted into a tiny puddle around his siblings. Natsume always brought out the _best_ in him.

"I told you to get out of my room, not to curl up on my bed and stare into the distance with some glassy look in your eyes." Natsume turned to walk out the door, grabbing his cellphone from his desk and stuffing it into his pocket. "Going out, I'll be back for dinner."

"Wait, what?" But all Youichi got as an answer was the soft click of the lock on the front door as Natsume slipped out of the house.

Youchi frowned. He had forgotten to ask about what had caused Natsume's horrible mood in the first place but it seemed to have lifted after their little banter.

He plopped his head down onto one of the pillows lining the headboard of the bed and grumbled.

It was unfair, stupid Natsume always got the softest ones.

.

.

She should have known it was a bad idea.

Mikan continued through the forest, stepping over stones and kicking up small dust storms of dirt with every step she took. The scenery was starting to look frighteningly unfamiliar and she had long ago lost track of the time.

She contemplated between turning back and going forward. Now would be better than later but what was the point of travelling all this way just to return with an unquenched burning curiosity? Mikan allowed herself a small sigh before straightening her back and continuing forwards. Sometimes, she really hated this stubborn personality of hers.

When the trees began to thin out, she started to walk faster. The sun shone brightly here with no clouds to obscure its rays and few trees to stop them from reaching the ground. From what she could see, she had reached the edge of the forest and she hesitantly stepped out from the safety of the woods.

Mikan found herself standing on the bank of a running stream. The stream was wide and rocks lined its edges, polished smooth by the raging waters. The water itself was frothing white from the speed of the current as it swept south towards the sea.

Mikan swallowed.

This place was absolutely beautiful.

It had an air of serenity, much like their meeting clearing but here, there was no sign of any other shifts. It seemed devoid of life yet at the same time filled with it.

She spread her arms out wide and smiled at the light wind that brushed the hair from her eyes. She marvelled at the blue mountains in the background, their snowy peaks blending in with the white of the clouds. She paused to take in the beauty of the pink flowers that blossomed in bundles below her feet, observing a fat bumble bee as it buzzed amongst the buds, a coat of honey gold pollen on its legs.

All caution forgotten, she stepped towards the edge of the stream. Observing it, her smile grew brighter. It didn't seem impossible to cross and her strength could allow her to swim across, deep in freezing water, to reach the other side where two tall trees grew by their lonesome. One had apples hanging off its branches.

Mikan wiped the drool from her sleeve; she hadn't even realized how hungry she had become.

She walked upstream, knowing the current would carry her to the trees at an angle. Leaning forward, she was prepared to step into the waters when a rustling noise suddenly sounded to her left. It all happened in a second; Mikan's eyes grew wide but before she could whip herself around to face the danger, something was pulled over head and she was pushed into the foaming waters, her scream cut short by a loud splash.

The coldness was the first thing she felt through the chaos, the shock spreading through her body in a wave. Her mouth opened to take in air but it was water that quickly filled her air passageways. Her fingers numb, body struggling to stay afloat, Mikan desperately clawed at the object obstructing her vision while coughing up and taking in more water. The burning of water in her lungs brought tears to her eyes. She couldn't win against the strong current and it thrashed her body about, trying to drag her to the very bottom. There were flashes of color behind her scrunched eyelids and she couldn't think in the confusion.

Her Shift wouldn't help in a situation like this; the small duckling she was would only be further tortured by the raging river. She was helpless.

_Someone! Please! _Her mind screamed.

Images flashed through her head. Her friends, family, close ones and―

_Natsume._

Everything started to fade.

And she was suddenly pulled out of the water. Whatever had been covering her head was ripped from her face and she started to cough up water in chortles. A hand supported her, wrapped securely around her waist as she was propped up against a warm body moving towards the bank.

She collapsed onto the ground, body still wracked with coughs and body still filled with what seemed like ice.

The person who saved her was talking, but she couldn't hear. Their voice tuned in and out and she feebly grasped the grass on either sides of her chest tightly, trying to transfer all the pain to elsewhere. When her saviour attempted to lift her up, she hacked up a stream of water in protest. She could only trust this person to take good care of her as her body wavered between pain and fatigue. The arms around her hesitated before gathering her up and cuddling her against a rising and falling chest.

She didn't remember anything after that.

All she could hear was continued steady beating of her own heart.

.

.

When she woke, it was warm. Her body was nestled in soft covers and it felt unbelievably good against her aching body.

Mikan's eyelids fluttered open slowly to see the ceiling of her bedroom. She was home, away from the dark and away from the raging river. Her body sagged with relief but tensed almost immediately when her door was suddenly thrown open.

Hotaru stormed in, rage pouring like tides from her body. Her eyes had darkened to a deep purple and the twitch of her lip already told Mikan _just_ how much trouble she was in. She winced.

The river was nothing compared to Hotaru.

"It was supposed to be an uneventful day." Hotaru said, her voice a deadly whisper. "Decided to go to the library while everyone stayed with Yuu or went home _like I asked them to._ Yet, there was one idiot who didn't listen." Her eyes narrowed into slits.

"_And that idiot almost died." _She hissed.

Mikan shivered, as she listened to the tone of Hotaru's voice. They cut through her ears, razor sharp and lined with poison. Oh dear lord.

"Do you _know _what could have happened, you idiot? Didn't you grow a brain? You're lucky Hyuuga happened to pick up on your trail mixed in with an unfamiliar scent and saved your life."

Mikan's eyes shot open._ Natsume?_

"Don't give me that bewildered look, Mikan Sakura." Hotaru continued, advancing towards the bed. "You're lucky you're injured, otherwise, I would have maimed you by now. You are on suicide attempt watch for the next few months. Don't even think about straying out of my sight."

Mikan groaned, face contorting with pain. The muscles in her throat were raw.

Despite the spikes in Hotaru's voice, her hands were surprisingly gentle as they helped Mikan sit up. Her mother was currently out of town. Hotaru was heaven-sent, no matter how diabolic she was. Tears of pain gathered in Mikan's eyes as she slowly laid her back against the headboard of her bed. It felt like she had just done a fourty-eight hour work out at the gym. She waited patiently as Hotaru left the room to fetch her a glass of water.

"_You're lucky Hyuuga happened to pick up on your trail mixed in with an unfamiliar scent and saved your life."_ Those words kept replaying in her thoughts. Natsume saved her? Mikan laughed bitterly in her mind along with her overwhelming gratitude and joy. It was like he was leading her on. He had just given her more reason to fall in love with him and it was working fast.

_First my friend is traumatized, then I almost die and finally, I fall in love all over again with Natsume Hyuuga. What a productive day._

"Drink up." Mikan was shaken out of her thoughts when Hotaru all but poured water down the front of her shirt and shoved several bright colored pills into her mouth.

"Hurry up and get better so that I can kill you all over again."

_Productive day indeed._

.

.

"So you didn't question her?"

"The idiot is so sore she can't even talk."

"Oh." And with that, Kokoro Yome shut up. They sat in Ruka's living room, running through the recent events. Others were due to arrive any moment.

Hotaru glanced at him impassively. "I know for certain she was attacked, after all, the hat that had apparently suffocated her stank with the scent of another Shift. Hyuuga remembered to bring it with him. He can actually think when he acts," She paused meaningfully, "Unlike many others."

"Alright, just because I steal the attention of your beloved Ruk-" He was abruptly cut off by a punch to the jaw that sent him tumbling back.

"Nice one Imai."

Hotaru directed a chilling stare over her shoulder. Natsume gazed back without so much of an eyebrow rise. He kicked off his shoes and shut the door behind him before strolling around to look for Ruka, ignoring Koko's indignant squawks of "Hey! I'm injured here!" She allowed herself a smile; she had to give him credit for being able to take her head on.

Koko was still whining.

Hotaru stepped on him.

He stopped instantly.

Hotaru: 1, Koko: 0

.

.

Natsume headed upstairs after failing to find his best friend in the den. He paused outside the blonde's room before turning the handle. He almost regurgitated his dinner at the sight before him and could taste the words "I disown you" on the tip of his tongue.

Ruka was preening in front of the mirror, face a tomato red and he fussed over his shirt, his hair and how he should present himself. It was almost pathetic how flustered he got whenever Imai was within a 5 meter radius. He'd clam up and start stuttering, looking anywhere but at Imai's supposed "depthless eyes like a sea of amethyst" as he had practically crooned to Natsume one time.

He couldn't believe he even knew this guy.

"Just get laid already." He muttered, making his way over to window seat. Ruka jumped at his voice, ears flushing and squeaked "Oh Natsume! I wasn't expecting you to be early!"

Natsume suppressed the urge to roll his eyes.

"What are you doing, Nogi?" He stated, eyes roving over his friend's shining hair, pressed dress shirt, and the silver pendant hanging around his neck. "What's the occasion?"

Ruka groaned and slapped a hand to his forehead. "You know fully well, Natsume. Stop teasing me." He stopped and turned his torso to the side. "How do I look?"

"There is a reason I don't have a girlfriend because Ruka Nogi is enough, asks me all the necessary questions and acts like a clingy burr."

"Natsume! I'm serious!" Ruka cried.

"You look fine." Natsume murmured, running a hand through his hair and eyelids falling to half-mast. "Can we just get this over with and go downstairs? I'm tired."

"Sure thing, I think everyone is already here." Ruka gestured towards the door.

"Judging from the noise, yes." Natsume added monotonously as he followed Ruka down the hallway.

By the time they arrived in the living room, it was already deathly silent as Hotaru stood in the middle, regarding everyone with distaste. "Whoever says a word next will die." Sumire, Hayate and various others all shrank back against the walls. Only Subaru looked unaffected by her death threat. It made sense; only another demon could with stand a demon.

"Imai, stop it. We have more important matters at hand." Natsume drawled blandly as he sat down on the sofa beside a grinning Kitsuneme.

Ruka nodded furiously. "Yeah! Let's get things started!" He quickly located a spot on the ground next to Natsume and flashed everyone a bright smile. "So, H-Hotaru." He started, a blush already creeping up his neck. "D-do you-"

Kaname suddenly spoke up. The gentle teenager's eyebrows were knit together in confusion. "Why are we meeting here instead of the clearing?"

"The clearing is no longer safe to use." Hotaru stated.

"What?" Mochiage blurted out.

"This afternoon, after the whole situation with Yuu, Mikan was attacked." A chorus of gasps broke loose and Anna looked near tears. "We don't know the full details of the attack yet as Mikan can't talk at the moment, however we can conclude that we all need to take caution. Please be on alert at all times. The attack must have happened for a reason and if we are being targeted, things will only get worse from now on. Make sure to inform me if there is anything abnormal with your Shift. I wasn't able to find any new information on them at the central library so I cannot do anything about Yuu's condition. We can only hope he gets better."

"Where did Mikan get attacked?" Tsubasa yelled from beside the television. His mouth was set in a firm line and the rage in his eyes was not concealed. Mikan was his favourite and he treated her like his own little sister.

Hotaru sighed. "Beside the stream down south; where the forest ends. I don't know what she was thinking, travelling down there without telling anyone. It was a brainless move."

Luna scoffed before returning all her attention back to her nails. "Watch it Koizumi." Tsubasa snarled. She sneered at him before directing all her attention upon Natsume, trying to undress him with her eyes. Kitsuneme shifted uncomfortably beside him.

"So will she be ok?" Nonoko asked.

"She'll be up and about in a few days but for now, she really needs to rest." The tension in the room had increased by tenfold. Most had brooding faces while others had turned ghastly shades of white. The information was settling down fast. There hadn't been a disturbance like this in ages.

"Is that all? Any more questions?" She turned to Natsume. "Anything you want to add, Hyuuga?"

He gave her a discerning "hn."

"Meeting adjourned." With that, Hotaru turned on her heel and left.

"Thanks for letting us use your house, Ruka," Tsubasa said, tapping on Natsume's shoulder. His younger sibling turned around and stared, narrowing his eyes. "But it's about time we got home. Natsume looks like he needs his beauty sleep." He didn't have time to dodge the flick to his forehead, strong enough to draw blood.

While the brothers fought, Sumire had managed to clutch on to the poor wolf boy and wasn't letting go. She smiled blissfully at the way he was whispering "let go of me, please!" frantically.

Ignoring his best friend's desperate cries for help, Natsume stood, not before sending a look of disgust at Luna, and made for the door with Tsubasa on his heels.

"Try to keep you virginity in tack." He smirked at Ruka's helpless expression and headed home.

Ruka could handle himself.

Well, he hoped so at least. Sumire was quite the handful.

.

.

"Mrs. Sakura?"

Yuka quickly rose from her seat, hands clutching onto her dress tightly, her brown eyes wide with hope. Her adoption home study had come back perfect as well as her interview. The documents and procedures had all been completed correctly. Surely she would be allowed to see her?

"She's waiting right inside, if you would follow me this way please." Yuka's heart started to beat ten times faster as she followed the lady down a white washed hallway. Colourful doors lined the walls and the lights from above cast a warm yellow glow. They stopped at the third turn and she was ushered into a small pink room. A bed was situated in the corner and a stuffed rabbit lay upon the bed covers. Her breath caught in her throat as her eyes landed on a small girl standing near the back wall.

Her dark raven hair contrasted sharply with her pale skin. The cloth of her dress shuffled as she tentatively stepped forward. Yuka found herself staring into beautiful crimson eyes.

"Finally," she whispered, taking the small child into the arms, "finally."

The girl clutched at her sleeves, hesitating before burrowing her face into Yuka's neck.

"I can finally be your mother, Aoi."

.

.

* * *

><p>.<p>

.

A/N 2:

Haha, aren't our writing styles different?

I hope I wrote this realistically enough as I did pull out a lot of hair over the scene in which Mikan almost drowns. Fast moving streams are actually quite dangerous, especially when they're deep. Trust me, first-hand experience.

I finished this in a week, I should get a round of applause :'D

This chapter is un-betaed so please expect punctuation errors and most likely typos.

Next chapter is up to gemire7.

I'm off the hook.

-NxN

**EDIT: **In case I didn't make it clear enough, Aoi will be adopted by Yuka into Mikan's family.


	3. Following the trail

Hey everybody! So I'm gemire7 and it's my turn to write. hope you all enjoy! :)

* * *

><p>Mikan was truly very, very bored.<p>

Being put on house arrest by her best friend had never been exciting, but the inability to move properly made things a whole lot worse. For one, she couldn't go and make herself a snack, meaning that she could only eat what Hotaru had brought for her (and crab cakes had never been her favourite). Two, the TV was in the living room downstairs so all she had for entertainment were the few books and magazines she kept by her bedside and truth be told, she felt like she'd already memorized every single word and picture from reading them over and over.

A soft sigh escaped her lips as she turned over with much effort to look out the window.

The wind was blowing gently, making the leaves dance on their branches. As she continued to watch the branches move back and forth, her eyelids slowly slid down until they were fully closed.

She must have been dozing for only a few minutes when she was woken by a tapping sound. Mikan screwed her eyes shut as she willed the annoying noise to go away. When the tapping continued, she opened one eye to see a blue jay at her window with a squirrel sitting on its' haunches right behind.

Mikan sat up quickly and regretted it right away as her head spun along with the protest of her sore muscles. Only when her bout of dizziness had faded away did she slowly get up and open her window.

The blue jay and squirrel flew and jumped, respectively, through the window, but instead of claws and paws hitting the floor, it was two pairs of sneakered feet.

After the twins had landed, Mikan closed the window and turned around with a big cheery smile on her face.

* * *

><p>Natsume had his eyes closed as usual, but unlike what most people thought, he wasn't always napping. In reality, he was usually too deep in thought to respond or just too lazy to answer (usually, it was the latter). Currently he was carefully sprawled out on top of his favorite tree and pondering about the recent happenings.<p>

He had realized after a while that the scent he had smelled on Mikan had also been on Yuu, albeit more faintly. That meant the same person was most likely behind both Yuu's loss and Mikan's near death. His eyebrows furrowed as he tried to figure out why they had been targeted. For Mikan, it was most likely because she had tried to go where she shouldn't have. But for Yuu, there was no clear reason.

The sound of light footsteps alerted him of another's presence. Catching a familiar scent, he relaxed once more and waited for the other to climb up beside him.

There was a comfortable silence between the two.; they had never needed words to figure out what the other was thinking about, but it was seemed necessary during times of fun and teasing.

"You're not with Imai? I thought you'd be busy snuggling by now."

Ruka blushed a bright red and shook his head. Natsume smirked at his best friend's antics. No matter how many times he did it, teasing his friend never lost its fun.

"She went to visit Mikan." Ruka replied sheepishly.

_'Hn. No wonder he came to visit.'_ Natsume thought as he settled into a more comfortable position with his hands behind his head.

Ruka swung his legs slightly as he leaned back while holding onto the branch he sat on. It felt nice to be up high with the sun in his face. The breeze rustled the leaves, lulling them both to sleep... His eyes suddenly snapped open from their half closed state as he remembered the other reason for why he was there.

"Hey Natsume."

"Hnn."

Ruka was nervous as to how Natsume would respond to the news he had.

"Your uncle's back together with your cousin." He quickly blurted out.

Closed eyes opened slowly to reveal crimson orbs full of annoyance. Ruka couldn't help but smirk in amusement at Natsume's next words.

"That cross-dressing flamingo freak?"

* * *

><p>Mikan was tired, but it was a happy sort of fatigue, not like the ones that made your bones feel brittle as if they would break any second. She watched as the twins scamper around her kitchen like little kids with food being tossed in between themselves.<p>

It had been only an hour since Anna and Nonoko had come to visit. Usually Mikan would be running around right alongside them, but she had tired out a lot faster due to obvious reasons. Even though she had refused with hand motions (remember that she can't talk), they had been adamant about fixing her something to eat. Hence, the reason why they were now in the kitchen. She winced as a loud crash sounded from somewhere in the pantry and wondered if she should go and check what they were up to. Her protesting muscles made her decide against it and she sat back down to wait for them to come back into the kitchen.

The sound of the door opening made her turn around to see who had come in. When she saw her best friend, a wide smile took over her face. Another crash sounded, causing Hotaru to frown with annoyance. "What is going on here?"

Mikan opened her mouth to reply, but closed it again when she remembered that she currently had no voice whatsoever. She looked around for a pencil and paper and her eyes sparkled as she wrote out the current antics of their friends.

An eyebrow raised slightly, Hotaru looked towards the pantry. "Has Nonoko finally overcome her curse of making everything she touches bubble and blow up?"

The only reply she got was a quick shrug of shoulders from the brunette. As Hotaru took a seat beside her friend, a soft sigh could be heard. They sat in comfortable silence with the occasional crash or bang from the pantry.

_'Have you eaten?'_ Mikan wrote on the paper.

Hotaru shook her head in response.

With a cheerful smile, Mikan took hold of the pencil and started writing again. _'Then you can eat with us! I bet Anna can keep Nonoko from making explosives out of the food. :)'_

"They'd better. I will not eat anything that is bubbling or making odd noises in any sort of way."

_'I think there's some crab cakes left over in the fridge.'_ Mikan wrote in shaky letters. Her shoulders were shaking from silent laughter at her friends oh so serious reply.

Hotaru was in the process of whacking Mikan in the head when Anna and Nonoko walked in from the pantry. "Hey Hotaru! Why didn't you tell us you're here? We could have gotten you to help us!"

Hotaru didn't even bother replying, but the twins didn't seem to mind. They just went on talking between themselves as they dished out bowls of vegetable soup with some buns. As Mikan took her first sip of her soup, Anna and Nonoko waited in anticipation for her response. Hotaru watched with hidden amusement as she drank from her own bowl.

There were a few minutes of silence as Mikan pretended to ponder about the taste. She closed her eyes and acted as if she was expertly savouring the hot liquid. A frown formed on her face as she opened her eyes to glance at her friends. At the twins' simultaneous intake of breath, she grinned and gave them a thumbs up. The room was then filled with laughter and everyday chatter (excluding both Mikan and Hotaru).

They were cleaning up when the sound of the front door opening could be heard. Hotaru looked up from where she was sitting, tinkering with a toaster Mikan had asked her to fix (for a small fee of course). She saw Mikan's mother standing with a smile in the doorway and stood up to say hello. When she saw a shadow slightly moving behind Auntie Yuka, she raised an eyebrow.

Yuka cleared her throat to get the attention of her daughter and the twins. When they turned around, she smiled widely and moved aside to reveal someone that had been hiding behind her. There stood a small black-haired girl with her head bowed down slightly so that they couldn't see her face clearly. Her jacket hung from her body as if it had been bought to last her a few years. Mikan thought that if there was ever a storm, this girl might be blown away by the wind.

"Girls, meet Aoi. She's going to be your new sister Mikan! Make sure you guys take good care of her!" This was all said with barely held back excitement.

When Aoi continued to remain facing the floor, Mikan took the first step to walk up to her. She stood in front of Aoi and took hold of the younger girl's hands. Her brown eyes were met with familiar crimson ones, but pushing the familiarity out of her mind for the moment, she smiled brightly at her new sister. Aoi hesitantly smiled back and Mikan had to hold herself from hugging her. After a few more seconds, she couldn't help it anymore and simply glomped the younger girl. She let go of her quickly, not wanting to scare her right away from the first day.

_'I'm Mikan. So you're the big surprise mom was telling me about! My voice isn't exactly working properly right now due to certain circumstances... But I hope we get to know each other quickly. I've always want a sister!'_ Mikan wrote this all out as fast as she could and then handed the paper to her new sister.

Aoi's smile turned less hesitant and had more feeling in them as she read through Mikan's hasty scribbling. She looked up and said shyly in a soft voice, "It's nice to meet you too... Mikan."

* * *

><p>Narumi was currently in turmoil about what he should wear to meet his nephews. After all, it had been a while since they had last seen each other and he wanted to make sure that they saw him at his best.<p>

The closet was open to show an array of **VERY** colourful and frilly clothes. Clothes were also strewn all around the room, covering the floor and bed.

He picked up a light pink shirt with frills around the neck and placed it in front of himself as he turned to look at the mirror. With a shake of his head, he tossed it back onto the bed. He was looking through his closet again when his son walked in.

"Hey! You're stepping on my favorite shirt! Put your foot somewhere else. No! Not there! That scarf has to be handled carefully!" Narumi quickly cleared the floor around his son so as not to let his clothes be dirtied any further.

Tono sighed in exasperation at his father. Really, even after living with the man for all his life, he still couldn't believe how long it took for one man to dress. "You need to get dressed quickly. We were supposed to leave an hour ago!"

Pouting like a child, Narumi gave his son the puppy look, but having seen it so many times, Tono wasn't affected at all. Whining with all he's worth, Narumi said, "But, I got to make myself look gooooood. I'm not like you who only takes five minutes to dress and do your hair."

"That's because I always look good. No matter what the clothes. No matter what time it is of the day." Tono boasted.

"You egoistic flirt." Narumi went back to looking for something to wear, leaving his son to smirk.

After much debate and asking his son for his opinion (which he regretted greatly by the way, who in the world doesn't know about the difference between satin and silk!) Narumi was finally ready to step out of the house. He had decided to go for the simple look with a nice cardigan over a collared shirt. It took him another 20 minutes to decide which shoes would go best with his capris and only after Tono had threatened to throw away his favorite collection of romance movies did he step out of the house.

During the car ride, Narumi was squirming with excitement making Tono worry that he was going to crash the car into a tree. He let out a sigh of relief when they finally parked in front of his cousins' house without any trauma causing or bone breaking incidents.

Without waiting for his son to get out of the car, Narumi flew out through the door and right to the front door of his nephews' home. He knocked fervently, impatient to see his cute relatives again.

* * *

><p>Youichi had been having a nice day with the house all to himself. It was also a great bonus that no girls had tried to come visit in vain hopes of trying to win over one of the Hyuuga siblings. Really, he had no idea how his eldest brother could stand being in the presence of the other sex all day. All that squealing and obvious attempts to get closer physically...<em><strong>brrr<strong>__,_even the thought was enough to send shivers down his back.

He was just about to settle down on his bed with a magazine on the supernatural when the phone rang. Sighing in annoyance, he got back up to get the cordless house phone from the top of his desk.

"Hel-" the squealing at the other end made him pull the phone away from his ear with a wince. Seriously, whoever came up with the idea of using one's voice in such a high pitch was extremely lucky that they didn't live in the same area or timeline as he did.

Youichi's anger level could be seen rising at a rapid rate as his face turned darker slowly. Unable to take the shrill noise any further he shouted into the phone. "Shut up you moron!"

"Yo-chan, that's not how you say hi to your uncle you haven't seen in a while. You should be greeting me with that cute voice of yours." Narumi scolded in a motherly voice.

All that did was bring about a frown on Youichi's handsome face. "Tch. Whatever you pedophile. Now, whaddaya want."

Narumi sighed. "Really, you sound exactly like Natsume. I swear you could be twins if you tried." he said. Before Youichi could hang up on him, he quickly blurted, "Tono and I'll be coming to visit you guys later today. Bye!"

" _beep beep beep _"

Youichi stared at the phone in his hand with exasperation.

His uncle had just invited himself over.

His uncle had just hung up on him.

His uncle was coming over and he was all alone.

Youichi threw the phone on his bed in an attempt to relieve himself of frustration then picked it back up to call his siblings. He speed dialled Tsubasa knowing that he had a bigger chance of getting a hold of him than Natsume.

"Hey Youichi. You need something?" Tsubasa shouted over the background noise.

Frowning in annoyance at all the squeals he could hear from his brothers end, he quickly said, "Narumi's coming over with Tono later. Get yourself back home. I am not meeting that man all alone."

"Tono's comi-"

Youichi hung up on his brother before he could start squealing like the girls he was hanging out with. Tsubasa and Tono had been inseparable since their first meeting during their childhood. It had always been Youichi's secret belief that those two were actually twins that had been separated by their parents for the greater good of the world.

He flopped on to his bed with a sigh as he tried to get a hold of his other brother. As usual, the phone continued to ring until it went to voicemail. Tossing the phone aside, he rolled onto his stomach to go back to reading his magazine when the doorbell rang.

Muttering about how he couldn't get even a moment of peace, he went to open the door. His scowl lost some its menace when he saw who it was through the peephole.

Ruka smiled as the door opened to show his friend's younger brother. Wondering slightly about why Youichi looked annoyed, he asked, "Hey. Is Natsume home?"

"No. He went out."

"Oh. Well, I'll go see if I can find him then. See you later Youichi." Ruka turned around with a wave of his hands to go in search of his best friend. Before he went very far though, he stopped to listen to what Youichi had to say.

"Tell my brother that our uncle's back."

Ruka started walking again as he replied, "Sure. I'll tell him when I find him."

Youichi watched from the doorway as the blond disappeared into the forest and hoped that one of his brothers would come back soon. He shivered as he remembered the last time his uncle had caught him alone. He never wanted to go through another round of dress up with Narumi ever again.

* * *

><p>Tsubasa was grinning from ear to ear as he opened the door to see his cousin and uncle. He lost his breath as he got squeezed to death by Narumi until Tono finally helped him out of his dad's grip. Tsubasa smiled weakly at his uncle and berated himself for having forgotten about his uncle's vice like grip.<p>

"Tsubasaaaaa! I missed you! You've grown so much!" Narumi crowed at his oldest nephew as they stepped into the house. "Where's Natsume and Youichi? I can't wait to see how much they've grown!"

Tsubasa smiled at him sheepishly while pointing a finger up to the second floor. "Don't tell Youichi I told you, but he's hiding upstairs in his room."

Narumi sped up the stairs leaving Tsubasa and Tono behind. They could hear him opening the door with Youichi shouting at him to get out.

"So where did you guys go this time? Vazil? Aslanti? " Tsubasa asked as he led them into the kitchen. He pulled out two bottles of pop and tossed one to his cousin.

Tono took a swig from his bottle and replied, "Idli. And yes we brought some stuff back, well dad did anyways. It's in the box he left by the front door. Feel free to throw away anything not to your tastes."

"Why do I get the feeling that it's going to be most of the box?" Tsubasa smiled as he lugged the box into the kitchen. Hearing scuffling sounds from upstairs, he looked towards the ceiling. "Should we go save Youichi from Narumi now?"

Tono smirked as he led the way upstairs. "Let's hope your brother hasn't blown a fuse just yet."

The two walked in to see a very unusual sight. Narumi was tied and bound up in a cocoon of Youichi's blankets and the only things visible were his feet. On the other hand, the owner of the room was calmly flipping through a magazine while lying down on his bed.

Youichi looked up to see the older boys and scowled at them. "You just had to send him up to my room. Seriously, who jump-hugs someone else without a word of warning? Actually, people shouldn't be jump-hugging. Period."

As Tsubasa went to help his uncle out of his confinement, Tono sat down on Youichi's bed. "Hey Youichi. How've you been? Still stalked by your fan girls like always?"

"Good and yes. Now take your dad out of my room before I whack some sense into him with a few books." Youichi didn't even bother to look up from his magazine while replying.

Tono faked tears and clutched his shirt around his heart as he said, "Ouch. That's the greeting I get after we haven't seen each other for such a long time? You are a cruel man Youichi."

"It's not going to kill you, you wuss." was all Youichi said with his always present smirk.

Tono shook his head at how similar Youichi and Natsume were now. He pushed his blubbering father out of the room and stepped out with Tsubasa close behind. "See you later You-chan." With a chuckle, he quickly closed the door to block the magazine flying his way.

"Tsubasaaaaa! You're brother wouldn't let me hug him!" Narumi wailed, shedding crocodile tears. "And where's Natsume? Why isn't he here to say hiiiii?"

Before Tsubasa could reply, the front door opened with a loud bang. Rushing down to see what caused the ruckus, they all saw Ruka in his Shifted form. His silver pelt was quickly melting away to reveal him slightly panting with a worried look on his face.

His gaze stayed solely on Tsubasa as he quickly said, "Natsume's tracking Yuu's and Mikan's attacker. He sent me to bring you along. Shift now, we need to get going before he does anything stupid."

Tsubasa stood still for a few seconds, in shock. "I'll be back soon. Ask Youichi what's going on." He told his relatives.

Without further ado, the two ran out of the house, Shifting as they went. Tsubasa's jet black fur and Ruka's silver pelt were soon out of sight, leaving two very confused men standing in the doorway with no answers to their unspoken questions just yet.

* * *

><p>After Ruka had told Natsume of his relative's arrival, his desire to return home had slightly increased. After all, there were many ways to poke fun at his uncle and he felt like getting rid of piled up stress with a bit of fun. He jumped off the tree and landed on his feet gracefully, swiftly followed by Ruka. They began the walk back to Natsume's home in silence. One of them thinking about a certain raven haired girl with amethyst eyes while the other thought up plans on how to tort -<em>I mean<em>- prank his uncle.

Suddenly, Natsume came to a stop, letting Ruka walk a few steps ahead. When Ruka finally noticed that he was walking by himself, he turned around looking for his friend only to see Natsume sniffing the air.

"Natsume?"

Ruka was ignored as Natsume continued sniffing. His eyes narrowed as he stared off in a certain direction. His head snapped back towards Ruka. "Go to my house and bring Tsubasa."

"Why Natsume? What's wrong?" Ruka said with worry evident in his voice.

Natsume was staring in the other direction again and Ruka could almost see his hackles rising even if Natsume hadn't Shifted into a leopard yet. "It's the scent of the same person that robbed Yuu and tried to drown polka. I'm going to go and track him. Go and bring Tsubasa!"

Without giving Ruka a chance to refuse, he Shifted into his feline form and ran into the woods. Ruka stood dumbstruck as he watched his friend disappear into the deeper part of the forest, which didn't take very long considering Natsume was now a jet black leopard. Not wanting his friend to be caught alone by a stranger, Ruka Shifted and quickly ran to bring back Tsubasa.

* * *

><p>Youichi had come down to see what all the ruckus had been about to find Narumi and Tono staring out of the now broken door. The wooden door hung precariously from a single hinge and swung back and forth.<p>

One of his eyebrows rose at the sight before he decided that it had nothing to do with him and started heading back upstairs. Tono shook himself out of his daze quickly enough to get a hold of Youichi before he left.

"What did Tsubasa mean by Yuu's and Mikan's attacker? What happened while we were gone?" Tono asked, his voice full of obvious curiosity and worry.

Youichi shook him off and continued walking up the stairs with Tono following closely behind. He didn't say anything as he sat down on the edge of his bed, facing his cousin with a blank look.

Tono stared at the younger boy from where he was standing, noticing once again that he couldn't be mistaken as a little kid anymore. "So am I going to have to beg on my knees to get you to tell me what happened or are you going to tell me without complaining?"

Smirking at the image of his cousin begging on his knees, he said "Maybe some other time I'll get you to beg, but for today, I'll tell you for free." Tono's visible show of relief at not having to damage his man pride made Youichi's smirk more prominent, as if that was even possible. Deciding that waiting further would be a waste of his time, Youichi retold what had happened in the last few days, starting from Yuu's loss of his Shift and going on to the attempt at Mikan's life.

Both of them having conveniently forgotten about Narumi's existence downstairs, they stayed up in Youichi's room with Youichi trying to rein in his annoyance at Tono's exclamations about his story. The unspoken words of worry hung heavy in the air for the three boys that had gone to track down whoever it was causing trouble and evoking fear.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: **If you ever have any questions, feel free to ask! We'll send back a reply as soon as possible \(6.6)/


End file.
